Height adjustment system for sliding drawers

ABSTRACT

A telescopic sliding guide (20) for linearly and horizontally moving a drawer or shelf (12) with respect to a furniture item, the guide comprisesa first part (22) fixable on the furniture item, anda second part (24) whichis elongated along a longitudinal axis (X),is translatable with respect to said fixable part along said axis, andcomprises a free end (28), adapted to support the drawer or shelf, on the free end being mounteda first adjustment means (80) for adjusting the inclination of the drawer or shelf with respect to the first part, anda second adjustment means (90) for adjusting the horizontal position of the drawer or shelf with respect to the first part,wherein the first means (80) is arranged substantially along said axis (X).

The invention relates to a height adjustment system for sliding drawers or shelves. In particular, the invention refers to an improved telescopic guide for drawers or shelves, of the type comprising a device for adjusting the height position of the drawer with respect to both its seat and the other drawers or shelves.

It is known that furniture items or cabinets are provided with drawers or shelves, which in some models are horizontally sliding and removable. The drawer or shelf can have integral guides, e.g. the classic grooves on the sides, or is mounted on two linear guides fixed to the walls of the furniture item. The drawer or shelf is constrained to the guides to prevent its vertical disengagement or accidental detachment.

The guides are often sophisticated devices, which allow a fine adjustment of the drawer position.

In EP1621107 the drawer can thus be moved laterally so as to allow its horizontal level adjustment and its correct spacing from the other drawers and from the sides of the furniture item. For the height adjustment there is provided a rotating disc 31 with a flat surface to support the drawer. With a lever 33 one can rotate the disc 31 clockwise or counterclockwise to make it go up or down, thereby adjusting the vertical level of the drawer. The lever is inconvenient to use, because it ends just under the drawer, and is comprised within a bulky mechanism. EP1621107 has not an adjustment mechanism for the horizontal position of the drawer.

Improving this state of the art is the main object of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims, wherein the dependent ones define advantageous variants.

Another object is to provide a guide of the above mentioned type in which the vertical adjustment means for the drawer or shelf are simple to produce and easy to use during assembly.

Another object is to provide a guide of the above mentioned type wherein the size of the vertical adjustment means is limited.

Another object is to provide an improved assembly given by a guide of the above mentioned type and an associated drawer or shelf.

Another object is to provide an improved sliding drawer or shelf associated with a guide of the above mentioned type.

A telescopic guide is proposed to move linearly and horizontally a drawer or shelf with respect to a furniture item, the guide comprising

a first part fixable on the piece of furniture and

a second part which

-   -   is elongated along a longitudinal axis,     -   is translatable with respect to the fixable part along said         axis, and     -   comprises a free end, adapted to support the drawer or shelf, on         the free end being mounted         -   a first means for adjusting the inclination of the drawer or             shelf compared to the first part, and         -   a second means for adjusting the horizontal position of the             drawer or shelf with respect to the first part,

wherein the first means is arranged substantially along said axis.

The arrangement of the first means makes the guide more compact and lighter.

Preferably the first adjustment means comprises an element movably mounted relative to said end for moving along an axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and to abut against the drawer or shelf to tilt it through an adjustable-protrusion portion.

The movably mounted element may be e.g. linearly movable or oscillating with respect to said end.

In a variant, said element is mounted inside a pass-through cavity of said end so as to translate linearly in said cavity for protruding from said end to abut against the bottom of the drawer or shelf.

More preferably, to facilitate adjustment and increase its precision and stability, the first adjustment means comprises an element rotatably mounted in said end for protruding from the end and abut against the bottom of the drawer or shelf through an adjustable-protrusion portion.

Even more preferably said rotatably mounted element and said pass-through cavity are threaded in a complementary way, so that the element can be moved by screwing.

For ease of construction, preferably said free end constitutes a separate piece mounted on the second part.

In a variant, the first fixable part is an L-shaped bracket, and the second part comprises a sleeve elongated along said longitudinal axis and mounted for sliding on an edge of the L-shaped bracket, said free end being a separate piece which is mounted at the end of the sleeve for constituting an extension thereof.

Preferably the second adjustment means comprises a slide translatable horizontally on a protruding edge of said end, the slide comprising fastening means for the drawer or shelf for making the slide and the drawer or shelf integral with each other. Or the second adjustment means may comprise a screw which can be screwed into said end for moving the drawer or shelf horizontally.

Preferably the drawer or shelf is made up of segments joined together, in particular a front segment and three segments being C-connected to each other. E.g. the segments are hollow tubular elements, each with ends cut at 45 degrees to match with ends of other two of said segments.

Preferably the three segments connected together like a C are hollow tubulars elements, each with ends cut at 45 degrees to match with ends of the other two segments, and the front segment comprises a rigid wall equipped with two anchoring members which protrude orthogonally therefrom and are each insertable in a respective cavity of a different segment forming the C.

The advantages of the invention will be even clearer from the following description of a preferred exemplary system, reference being made to the attached drawing in which

FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a sliding drawer inserted into a furniture item;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a three-dimensional view from below of the drawer;

FIG. 4 shows a vertical cross-sectional view;

FIG. 5 shows a three-dimensional view of a component of a guide;

FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional front view of a sliding drawer inserted into a furniture item and translatable on a guide.

In the figures equal numbers indicate equal or conceptually like parts, and the elements are described as being in use. To not crowd the figures some numerical references are omitted.

FIGS. 1 and 6 partially show the side walls 10 of a furniture item or cabinet inside which a sliding drawer or shelf 12 is mounted.

The sliding drawer or shelf 12 comprises a frame having a front segment 14, a bottom segment 16 and two lateral segments 18. The segments 14, 16, 18 are e.g. tubular parts with ends cut at 45 degrees to fit with each other, and are assembled to form an overall rectangular or square frame. For simplicity, the bottom of the sliding drawer or shelf 12 is not shown.

The lateral segments 18 are mounted on two linear guides 20 respectively, specularly equal and fixed to the walls 10.

Each linear telescopic guide 20 comprises two parts 22, 24 which are relatively linearly translatable. The part 22 is fixed and connectable/connected to the wall 10, while the part 24, translatable along a longitudinal axis X thereof with respect to the part 22, is connectable to one of the segments 18. Thus the sliding drawer or shelf 12 can be extracted frontally from the cabinet.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 6 the sliding drawer or shelf 12 can be seen mounted on the guide 20. The translatable part 24 comprises a metallic sleeve, slidable on the fixed part 22, comprising at the end an arm 26, e.g. made in plastic, on which the sliding drawer or shelf 12 rests.

The arm 26 is preferably formed by a tail 84 and a head 86. The tail 84 is configured like an insert to be inserted by longitudinally interlocking (along the X axis) inside a central cavity of the aforementioned metallic sleeve 30, while the head 86 protrudes from the sleeve 30 extending along the X axis and is placed close to the front segment 14.

The head 86, on which a segment 18 rests, is equipped with a positional adjustment mechanism for the drawer or shelf 12. Such mechanism comprises an adjustment device for the inclination of the drawer or shelf 12 with respect to the fixed part 24 and an adjustment device for the horizontal position of the drawer or shelf 12 with respect to the fixed part 24.

The inclination adjustment device is located at the arm 26's end closest to the front segment 14, that is, on the head 86. The head 86 is provided with a vertical pass-through hole 82, with Z axis orthogonal to the X axis, in which a screw 80 can be screwed so that the tip of the screw 80 juts out from the head 86 under the drawer or shelf 12. By screwing more or less the screw 80 into the threaded hole 82 (see FIG. 4 and Z axis), the tip of the screw 80 can protrude more or less from the head 86 and lift (see arrow F in FIG. 4) more or less the drawer or shelf 12 (or a segment 18). This allows for an adjustment of the inclination of the drawer or shelf 12.

It should be noted that an advantage of the arm 26 is that the adjustment device for the inclination of the drawer or shelf 12 is under a segment 14, and it is therefore invisible if e.g. the bottom of the drawer or shelf 12 was made of glass.

Note also that the screw 80 is located substantially on the X axis, i.e. is aligned with the length of the part 24, for compactness. It also follows that the guide is little wide horizontally, to the advantage of assembly ease.

The adjustment device for the horizontal position of the drawer or shelf 12 with respect to the fixed part 24 is arranged on the head 86 too.

A tab 88, horizontal in use, extends from the base of the head 86 (FIG. 5). The tab 88 has length arranged parallel to the X axis. On the tab 88 a slide 90 (FIG. 3) is slidably mounted so as to be able to translate parallel to the X axis on the tab 88 (see direction W).

The slide 90 is movable on the tab 88 thanks to e.g. the rotation of a toothed wheel 92. Preferably the slide 90 comprises an anchoring element (not shown) for the attachment to the drawer or shelf 12, in order to better drag it along. A segment 18 also rests on the slide 90 and is made integral with it, so that the displacement of the slide 90 results in a bach-and-forth movement of the drawer or shelf 12.

Therefore, thanks to the adjustments on the horizontal arm 26, during the assembly an initial adjustment of the drawer or shelf 12 is possible along the X axis and the Z axis.

Preferably the guide 20 comprises a rear stop element (not shown) to avoid detachment of the drawer or shelf 12. 

1. Telescopic sliding guide for linearly and horizontally moving a drawer or shelf with respect to a furniture item, the guide comprising: a first part fixable on the furniture item, and a second part which is elongated along a longitudinal axis, is translatable with respect to said fixable part along said axis, and comprises a free end, adapted to support the drawer or shelf, on the free end being mounted a first adjustment means for adjusting the inclination of the drawer or shelf with respect to the first part, and a second adjustment means for adjusting the horizontal position of the drawer or shelf with respect to the first part, wherein the first means is arranged substantially along said axis.
 2. Guide according to claim 1, wherein the first adjustment means comprises a member movably mounted relative to said end for moving along an axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and abutting against the drawer or shelf to incline it.
 3. Guide according to claim 1, wherein the first adjustment means comprises an element rotatably mounted on said end for protruding from the end and abutting against the drawer or shelf by means of an adjustable-projection portion.
 4. Guide according to claim 1, wherein said element is mounted inside a pass-through cavity of said end so as to translate linearly in said cavity to protrude from said end.
 5. Guide according to claim 4, wherein said rotatably mounted element and said pass-through cavity are complementarily threaded.
 6. Guide according to claim 1, wherein said free end constitutes a separate piece mounted on the second part.
 7. Guide according to claim 6, wherein the first fixable part is an L-shaped bracket, the second part comprises a sleeve, elongated along said longitudinal axis, which is mounted to slide on an edge of the L-shaped bracket, and said free end being a separate piece which is mounted at the end of the sleeve to constitute an extension thereof.
 8. Guide according to claim 1, wherein the second adjustment means comprises a slide (90) horizontally translatable on a protruding edge of said end, the slide comprising fastening means for the drawer or shelf to make the slide and the drawer or shelf integral with each other.
 9. Guide according to claim 1, wherein the drawer or shelf is made of segments joined together, which are a front segment and three segments which are C-connected to each other, the segments being hollow tubular elements, each having ends cut at 45 degrees for matching with ends of other two of said segments.
 10. Guide according to claim 9, wherein the three C-connected segments are hollow tubular elements, each with ends cut at 45 degrees to match the ends of the other two segments, and the front segment comprises a rigid wall provided with two anchoring points which are protruding orthogonally therefrom and each insertable into a respective cavity of a different segment forming the C. 